The Twisted Road of Love
by Steph3
Summary: This is a story that starts at Hermione's graduation. It is a Hermione/Charlie romance. Voldemort has been defeated, but why is Hermione guilty? G for now, I think the rating will go up in future chapters.
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One

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Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. I wish I could say they were mine . . . 

Hermione Granger looked around the Great Hall of Hogwarts, filled with parents, students, and her teachers from the past seven years. It was her graduation night, a night that had been anticipated for most of the year. However, in the past three weeks, Hermione had been put through hell.

Her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, had recently fought against the dark wizard Voldemort, an incident that had been happening just about each of the years they were at Hogwarts. The three of them, and Ron's older brother Charlie, had barely escaped alive.

Hermione's dark brown eyes swept over the room, taking in the entire Weasley family. Molly and Arthur were seated at the end of one row, the family taking up a whole role. It was in order of age . . . Bill, then Charlie, Percy next, the twins Fred and George, and then the only girl of the group, Ginny. Hermione smiled slightly in their direction as Dumbledore started a speech.

"This year has been the strangest of them all, no doubt. Voldemort has finally been defeated, once and for all. But, in the struggle against evil, many of our peers were lost. So, tonight, we are not only proud of our graduates, but we mourn for those we have lost." Hermione's gaze flew to the staff table, noting the few missing places. Madam Hooch, Professor Vector, and Professor Sprout had all been killed in the fight against evil. Hermione felt the tears fill her eyes, and she looked around her classmates.

There were several of them missing too. Crabbe and Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, almost all of the Slytherins, actually, were either dead or in Azkaban. Draco Malfoy and the quiet Blaise Zabini were the only two to remain at Hogwarts. Draco, although rather rude and uptight about bloodlines, had turned to be a wonderful asset to the "good side." Hermione almost had a fit, thinking like that.

In the rest of the houses, very few people had been killed or sent to Azkaban. Actually, the Patils were the extent for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and Hannah Abott and Justin Flinch-Fletchy were the dead Hufflepuffs. Hermione brushed her hand up to her eyes, roughly wiping away the first tear that had escaped her eye in the past year.

"I will now read the names of the graduates, then the ball will start," Dumbledore announced, slowly reading the names. When the graduate had received his diploma, he were allowed to go sit with his parents. Knowing this, Hermione began to frantically search the room for her own parents.

Finding them in front of the Weasleys, Hermione started paying attention again. Suddenly her name was called and she slowly walked up to greet Dumbledore. He looked down at her through serious eyes, and shook her hand.

"Miss Granger, I'm very proud of you," he told her, smiling softly. She smiled up at him, before hurrying down to sit next to her parents, and in front of Charlie Weasley. Charlie had been at Hogwarts since her fifth year, leaving his job in Romania looking after dragons, to come and fight against Voldemort.

In fact, when Harry and Ron had defeated Voldemort, Charlie and Hermione were the only other two on the scene. Hermione flushed, thinking of how he had saved her life that night.

"Well, Hermione, you did it!" her father exclaimed. Hermione looked up at him, noticing the ceremony was over. Hermione nodded, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear and looking at them with dull eyes.

"Good job, Hermione!" Harry said, coming next to her and putting his head on her shoulder. Hermione smiled back at him, clearly not really happy.

"What's wrong, 'Mione?" Ron asked with a grin. Hermione looked up at him, realizing that they didn't know. She shook her head, muttering a quick 'nothing,' and glancing uneasily at Charlie.

"Come on, Hermione, something's wrong. I mean, you barely studied for the NEWTs," Harry pointed out. "You haven't been yourself since . . . well . . . since Voldemort," he said, flushing. Hermione looked up at him, saying nothing to him.

"I'm going for a walk. Why don't you all just enjoy the ball," she said, hurrying out of the big double doors leading outside. 

Ron, Harry, and the Grangers shared an uneasy look. They all said they would go talk to her at once.

"No, I'll do it. You weren't there," Charlie said, interrupting their thoughts.

"What happened, Charlie? We were there the entire time," Harry pointed out.

"No, you weren't. You and Ron ran off to search for Voldemort, and Hermione and I went in the opposite direction. We met him, and Hermione will have to tell you the rest," Charlie said, rushing after Hermione. 

Charlie followed her quietly, quickly catching up to her just as she reached the lake. Hermione was staring at it bitterly, and she turned to look at him.

"What, Charlie?" she asked.

"Hermione . . . why can't you just get over it?" he whispered, walking closer to her.

"I keep seeing it in my mind, Charlie. That night, I can't get it out of my mind. I keep seeing that dark battlefield, I can still feel the rain stinging my face. I remember Harry and Ron walking off together, and then I looked to you. I couldn't face him alone, Charlie. God, I couldn't face him at all. I just remember sticking to you and walking off. Then, I saw him. God, Charlie, it was awful. Did you even see his face? And, then he shot the curse at me. I was paralyzed, I deserved it. After all of the others that were killed, it wouldn't be horrible, and I wouldn't be special. And, then you saved my damn life. I should have died, Charlie!" she said, sobbing for the first time. 

Charlie quickly crossed over, wrapping his arms around her and pulling him to her. Hermione sobbed into his shoulder, and Charlie waited until she was calm to pull away and look at her.

"Hermione, I did what was best. You are the best witch I've ever met, and we need you to be here. I don't know why you would think you should have died, but you didn't deserve that. And, I'm glad I saved you," he said intensely, looking down at her.

"But, I couldn't do it. I froze in the face of danger. I'm a Gryffindor, I should be brave, but I couldn't think. The only reason I'm still here is because you jumped on top of me and knocked me out of the way. What if you had died, Charlie? It would have been my fault, and I could have lived knowing that."

"Hermione, look at me, damnit. I care about you. Look, you started out as my brother's best friend, but I got to know you over the two years I worked here. And, now you're my friend. I do anything for my friends. I'd do anything to protect them. And, don't lie and say that you wouldn't do it. I know you, Hermione. You would have died to protect any of us," Charlie whispered, kissing the top of her head lightly.

"But, Charlie, if you had died, and I had survived . . ."

"No ifs, 'Mione. We're both here. Now, let's go back in there. It's your graduation night, and you should have fun. You know what fun is, right?" he teased her. She rolled her eyes, but he noticed that she smiled softly at him, and her eyes weren't quite as dull as before.

"So, Charlie, now that Voldemort is gone, what are your plans?" she asked as they slowly made their way up to Hogwarts. Charlie shrugged.

"I'm torn. I'm thinking about going back to Romania, of course, but I was thinking maybe for the Ministry, or maybe I'll even work with the twins. I was a prankster in my own days," he said, grinning at her. "What about you, 'Mione?" he questioned.

"Haven't the faintest," she replied, looking up into his deep blue eyes, and smiling softly. "I really don't know. I could teach, which seems the most logical thing, or I could study to be a medi-witch, or I could work in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, or I could . . . I have no clue! I might go back to life as a Muggle, it was simpler," she whispered.

"Look, I'm going to Romania to visit some friends, that sort of thing. Come with me, and look around. I don't want to lose you as a friend, Hermione. You were staying with us anyway, right?"

"Until I could find a flat, at least. So, Charlie, who all will be at your house?"

"Um, Ginny, Ron, me, Percy, Harry, and you. Unless . . . well, Sirius won't already have managed to get a house, will he?" Charlie questioned.

"I don't know. I think that Remus was going to let him stay with him, but I'm not sure. Come on, Charlie. Let's get back, I'm suddenly in the mood to dance," Hermione said, smiling up at him again. Charlie grinned, leading her into the Great Hall and mover to her family and friends.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" were the first words out of Mrs. Granger's mouth.

"Nothing. At least, not now. Charlie . . . Voldemort . . .Nothing now," Hermione said, unsure of how to explain.

"What happen, Hermione?" Harry asked gently. Hermione shook her head, smiling softly.

"Later, Harry. I've just explained it once, I don't feel like explaining it again so soon. So, want to dance?" she asked with a small smile. Harry smiled back, and they moved to the dance floor.

"She and Harry don't date, do they?" Mrs. Granger asked. The group burst into laughter, all glancing at Ginny.

"No, they don't. Gin and Harry are dating, but what about you, Ron? What happened there?" Charlie asked.

"Hermione and I never dated," Ron said with a scowl. "Because we don't _like _each other. We're just friends. Why do you think I'm dating Lavender?" he hissed. Charlie looked amused.

"Go dance with her then," he said, smirking as his brother ran off.

"So, Charlie, what exactly happened out there?" Bill asked, looking at his younger brother with a grin. Charlie shook his head slightly, biting his lip.

"Hermione has issues. Look, it boils down to something that happened when Harry killed Voldemort. Lord knows why she feels so damn guilty though," he mused, watching Hermione dancing with Harry. Neither could dance to fast songs, so they were very amusing. They made their way back to the Grangers and Weasleys at the end of the song.

"Hermione, we're going to go now. You're Dumbledore has arranged a way for us to get home quickly. I don't quite understand the concept, but . . . Oh well. Come visit us, dear," Mr. Granger said, planting a kiss on Hermione's head. Hermione nodded as she kissed her parents, then looked over at her friends.

"We'll be going too, dears. Charlie and Percy, you'll be coming home on the train also, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked. They both nodded, excited at the prospect of spending another night in Gryffindor tower. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left soon, and Hermione looked up at Charlie, who was sitting next to her.

"Dance?" she asked softly. Charlie looked down at her, nodding quietly.

"So, Hermione, when are you going to tell them? They keep asking me about what happened, but I can't tell. It'd be wrong," he whispered quietly.

"When we get back to the common room. Bill and the twins will stay as well, right? Well, we'll go back and talk about everything," Hermione told Charlie, kissing him on the cheek quickly. Charlie turned pink, and he looked over to where his brothers were sitting. Bill, he knew, had noticed because of the smirk that flashed across his face.

"Are you ready? I mean, all we're missing is a little more dancing," Charlie said. Hermione nodded, looking at him.

"You'll sit next to me, right? And, if I can't tell them, you'll finish?" Hermione asked, looking up at him in worry. Charlie nodded reassuringly and went to go to his brothers. Hermione rounded up Harry, Ginny, and Ron, and they slowly made their way to Gryffindor tower.

"All right, I know you have all been wondering what's been up with me," Hermione said, looking pointedly at Ron and Harry. They smiled softly, and she looked up at Charlie, who reached down to hold her hand and rub it gently. She began slowly to tell them about that night, about Voldemort.

"Hermione . . . why didn't you tell us, and why did you feel so guilty?" Harry asked at the end. Hermione shrugged, dropping her head onto Charlie's shoulder. He continued to rub her hand gently, and looked at the others slowly.

"Something to do with the fact that Charlie easily could have died because I was stupid, and Gryffindor being the house for the brave. I wasn't brave though. I froze, and I stand by what I said early, I deserved it if he killed me," Hermione said. Charlie frowned at her, whispering to her softly.

"We've had this discussion, 'Mione. Stop feeling so guilty. I told you early, everyone is fine," he whispered, releasing her hand and putting his arm around her shoulder. Hermione didn't look at anyone, but she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm going to bed," she whispered into Charlie's shoulder, but she felt him shaking his head.

"No, you're not," he whispered back. "Stay here, with your friends. Please."

"Okay, can the rest of us please be included?" Harry asked, sounding slightly angry. "Hermione, you know that you don't deserve to die. Look, this is getting rather stupid. That's like me saying I deserve to die because Voldemort couldn't kill me the first bloody time around." Hermione looked up, startled. Harry never talked like that.

"Harry, you can't believe that."

"I know I can't. I would have gone crazy with guilt and I would have killed myself. That's why you can't think that you should be dead now. Look, apparently Charlie can talk some sense into you, so you be in your own little world. When you start acting like my friend again, why don't you pay me a visit." Harry calmly stood up and walked out. Ron followed him, then Ginny. Soon, Hermione was alone with the twins, Percy, Bill, and Charlie.

"He overreacted," Bill said. "But, if it woke you up, so be it."

"It didn't wake me up. I'm just rather angry. He went off and got all mad because I opened up to someone besides him or Ron. I don't know what his bloody problem is," Hermione said angrily.

"I do. 'Mione, you and Ron were his first real friends. He's afraid of losing you," Charlie whispered. "And, Ron's going to be fairly indigent too."

"Ron's going to be angry about the fact he's losing his best friend to his older brother," Bill said, smirking slightly. Hermione and Charlie turned to face him with identical expressions of confusion.

"Explain, please?" Hermione asked. Bill rolled his eyes.

"It should be obvious, my dear. You two are falling for each other. I know for a fact that Ron hates being overshadowed by his brothers. Think it through, though. Now, I have to go back to Egypt soon. I going to go say goodbye to the others. See you guys later," Bill said, running up to the boys' dormitories. Hermione glanced over at the twins and Percy, who were laughing at the way Hermione and Charlie had reacted to Bill's statement.

Hermione buried her head deeper into Charlie's shoulder, trying to decide how to fix things between Harry, Ron, and herself, and wondering if Bill's statement was true.

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A/N: OK, I have this huge obsession with Charlie now, if you can't tell. I hope you like this, it's the first romance I've written starring Hermione. It may have come out a bit angsty, if it is, I didn't really intend for it to be that way. I hope you enjoy and I'll get the next part up as soon as possible.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

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Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to J. K. Rowling.

Hermione opened her eyes to the feeling of small circles being rubbed on her back. She slowly looked up at Charlie, sitting away from him. She rubbed her eyes, then stretched out slowly.

"What time is it?" she asked softly. Charlie shrugged, looking uneasily around the common room.

"Early," was his reply, before he glanced down at his watch, "six thirty. What time does the train leave again?" Hermione rolled her eyes at Charlie, standing up.

"I'm going to go get ready for the ride home. The train leaves at nine, and they should have breakfast ready at 7:30. You can use the boys' bathroom, I'm taking a shower," she said. Hermione ran off, and quickly got ready for the ride home. She then went back down and found the twins sitting in the common room.

"Have a nice night of sleeping?" Fred asked in a teasing manner.

"Yeah. I don't remember much . . . Harry got mad and I just wanted to get away. That's it."

"Yeah, you fell asleep and Charlie didn't want to leave because he was worried about waking you. And, I talked with Ron and Harry. They aren't mad, it's just they wished you could tell them what you told Charlie. They'll be fine with you today," George told her. Hermione nodded, smiling softly at the twins, before glancing at her watch.

"Are they up yet?" she asked. George shrugged. Hermione grinned and ran up to the boys' dormitories. Bursting into the seventh year dorm, she looked at the sleeping forms and it suddenly struck her that it might be the last time that she saw all of her friends.

"Wake up, Harry, Ron," she whispered, slipping to their beds. She slowly woke them, smiling down at them as they looked up at her through sleepy eyes. Harry sat up and reached for his glasses. He then reached for Hermione and pulled her to him in a tight hug.

"You okay?" he whispered into her ear, kissing the top of her head. Hermione nodded, smiling softly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," she replied, before turning to look at Ron. He was watching her with a slight smile.

"So, you like Charlie?" he asked with an amused grin. "Our little Hermione is finally growing up and liking real boys," he said in an imitation of a mother's voice. Hermione just rolled her eyes at him and stood up.

"I don't know if I like Charlie or not. We're friends, and they reason I told him what was wrong was because he was _there_," she stressed, smiling at Ron. Ron nodded, smirking softly. 

"Uh huh. Right. Bill says—"

"I know. Bill told us that we were falling for each other. Then he left, and Charlie didn't say a word for the rest of the night. Now, hurry up. Get ready, let's eat! I'm going to wake Seamus and Dean and Neville. Lavender . . . I'm sure she's still asleep," Hermione said, knowing that Lavender probably had fun with Ron until he got angry with Hermione, and Lavender must have gone to the girls' dorm and sleep. She was bound to be crushed, Hermione realized. Her best friends, the Patil twins, didn't even make it to their graduation.

"Wake up, guys!" she shouted in the direction of Neville, Dean, and Seamus. The three instantly woke up, and Hermione was shocked to see their huge grins.

"Morning, Hermione," Dean said with a smile. "Have fun last night? You were looking awful cozy with Charlie when we came up," he said indicating the other boys. Hermione felt her cheeks flush slightly at the statement.

"I was angry and tired. And Charlie can be sweet. Ron, Harry, are you getting ready or not?" Hermione asked, turning to face her friends. Ron smirked at her as she jumped on his bed and started pulling him up.

"Well, obviously nothing has happened. Our precious Hermione is more alive today than she's been in weeks."

"Maybe that means something has happened, Ron," Harry pointed out from his bed. Hermione felt her face flush as she lay back on the bed. Harry grinned over at her, and she shook her head.

"Yeah, yeah. I had this amazing snogging session with him last night," Hermione said sarcastically.

"Man, I must be a really deep sleeper," a deep voice interrupted. Hermione felt her cheeks blaze even redder as Charlie entered the room. Hermione chanced a glance up at him, and he was regarding her with amusement.

"I'm trying to get them riled up," she said in explanation. Charlie nodded, searching through one of Ron's trunks.

"Ron! I'm borrowing a shirt!" Charlie yelled. Hermione looked over at Charlie, vaguely wondering if he would be able to wear one of Ron's shirts. Ron had gotten some muscle over the years, but Charlie . . . well, he had thick, rippling muscles that Hermione knew had to be because of dealing with dragons.

"Whatever," Ron yelled back, and Hermione heard the showers start in the bathroom.

"I'm going down to breakfast," she said, standing up. She was walking past Charlie when he reached out and grasped her hand. She looked down and he muttered, "wait for me." Hermione nodded, waiting until he had pulled a shirt over his head. They slowly walked down to the Great Hall together, Charlie watching Hermione.

"So?" he asked, eyes rooted to her face. Hermione looked up at him, smiling softly.

"They're fine. They think it's very amusing that we supposedly like each other. You realize that Mrs. Weasley's going to have a fit if they mention that they think that we like each other," Hermione said. Charlie grinned and placed his arm loosely around Hermione.

"Yes. Mum has wanted you as a part of the family for ages, I doubt that the idea would really faze her. Besides, we just have to say that Harry and Ron have big imaginations," Charlie said. Hermione smiled and looked up at him as he walked into the Great Hall. They sat together and started eating breakfast in silence.

"Hermione, what I suggested last night . . . Do you want to go to Romania with me? I'm only staying at home for a couple of days before I leave, and I'm not sure how long I'll be staying down there," Charlie said. Hermione looked at him, biting her lip softly. She then nodded.

"Well, I don't really have any other plans. I just want to be close to you the entire time, or at least until I get comfortable around dragons. They scare me to death," Hermione admitted softly. "Can't learn to take care of them or not get killed by them out of books, you know." Charlie chuckled, taking a bite of toast.

"No, you certainly can't, 'Mione. In fact, I don't think you can get to know how to handle any dragon, ever. I'm just a talent," Charlie said, smirking and looking quite arrogant.

"Why did you have to work with Draco during the war?" Hermione groaned. "You picked up his habits, and are becoming an arrogant git." Charlie grinned again, eating heartily. Hermione shook her head, believing that Ron and Charlie were a lot alike.

"Hey, 'Mione!" Harry shouted as he and Ron walked into the room. Hermione looked up at him and smiled, noting that Ginny wasn't with him for a change. Charlie seemed to notice as well, and silently looked at Hermione.

"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged, not appearing to care. Hermione cocked an eyebrow, then leaned back in the chair, staring pointedly at Ron. Ron shrugged also.

"She and Lavender were talking this morning," he said. Hermione jumped up and looked at them.

"I'm going to talk with them. I'll see you on the train," Hermione said, running up to Gryffindor Tower for the last time. She went into the room and ran up to the dormitory. Lavender and Ginny were sitting in the seventh year dorm.

"Hey girls," Hermione said. She sat on the bed next to Ginny and looked at Lavender, who had slightly red eyes. The two acknowledged her, and Lavender wiped a tear away from her face.

"Where's Ron?" Lavender asked quietly.

"Down at breakfast with Harry and Charlie. I asked them where you two were, or I'd still be down there. Don't you feel like eating?" Hermione asked cautiously. Lavender rolled her eyes at Hermione.

"Parvati and Padma . . . It's only been two months, Hermione. And, they should have graduated last night. We should have been sitting her, giggling all last night, and making predictions. I should get to brag about my relationship with Ron, seeing as Padma used to like him. But, I was up here crying all bloody night, and my boyfriend couldn't even care," Lavender said.

"Ron and Harry were rather angry last night," Hermione said quietly. Ginny nodded emphatically.

"I listened to them for hours about how Hermione wasn't being herself, and should have told them first off. Then, Ron seemed to realize that he had left you at the party, Lavender, and tried to leave, but Seamus and Dean arrived, saying you had just gone to bed. I trust the three of you have made up?" Ginny asked, looking over at Hermione. Hermione nodded.

"Of course. The only time we ever really stayed mad at one another was when Ron was being an insufferable prat. I was the idiot this time. They were right, I should have gone to them, it just seemed silly. Anyway, Lavender . . . I know how you feel. God knows I would be just like you if either Harry or Ron were killed. Not that Harry hasn't tried his luck a fair number of times," Hermione said, trying to make Lavender smile. 

"I suppose he has. Hermione, what was wrong with you last night? I know it was supposed to be about me, but I want to know," Lavender said. Hermione had become friends with Lavender and Parvati in their sixth year, but was closer to Lavender, who wasn't completely obsessed with Divination and Trelawny.

"Well . . . Voldemort tried to kill me in the final battle," Hermione said, quickly explaining what had happened. Lavender looked faintly shocked, but grinned widely when she told her that Charlie had saved her. In fact, she was so excited by that news, that she looked like her old self.

"Oooh! You and Charlie! That's so romantic!" Lavender said with a large grin. Hermione rolled her eyes and grinned.

"There is no Charlie and me. Trust me on that one, Lavender. Although--and this is a complete secret so keep your traps shut--I'm going with him to Romania," Hermione said. Ginny and Lavender shared looks and squealed.

"Oh my God, Hermione! Mum is simply going to freak out! And, do you know how strange Ron and Harry will feel about that?"

"Well, I know you can take care of Harry. And, Lavender, aren't you going to visit the Burrow?" she asked. Lavender and Ginny exchanged a quick smile, then looked over at Hermione. 

"You really want to go study dragons, 'Mione?" Ginny asked with a smirk.

"Maybe. Well, I don't have any other idea of what to with my life. I might as well go check out some things. Besides, Charlie and I are really good friends and it's fun to just hang out with him," Hermione explained.

"Sure, sure," Ginny said with a slight grin. "Now, we better hurry to breakfast with our things. It's almost time for the Express, and we have to eat." Lavender, Ginny, and Hermione hurried to grab their things and ran down to the Great Hall.

"Can you believe this is it?" Hermione asked, looking over at Lavender.

"Nope. I cannot believe this is the last day that we'll be here. I mean, it's been our home for the past few years," she said sadly. Hermione and she shared a sad look before sitting at the table with Ron, Harry, Charlie, Seamus, and Dean.

"Hey, Lavender, Ginny," Ron said, acknowledging his girlfriend and dropping a quick kiss on her head. Lavender sat down next to him and flashed him a quick smile, kissing his cheek. Her head rested on his shoulder and Lavender slowly started eating breakfast quickly. Ginny slid next to Harry, kissing him quickly and Hermione slid next to Charlie, giggling at her friends' behavior.

A few hours later, they were all boarding the train, deciding who should sit where. The compartments only comfortably held six, so Harry was looking at the members of the Quidditch team (Ron, Seamus, Dean, Ginny, Collin, and Tiffany), and then at Hermione.

Finally, Hermione, Charlie, Ron, Lavender, Ginny, and Harry all shared a compartment and a fun filled trip home.

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Tracy: Thanks! I know, isn't Charlie really awesome? I love the stories featuring him, but they are so rare! Thanks for encouragement!

A/N: This story is taking a while to write. I had some great ideas, and I know what eventually is going to happen. However, it may take a few more weeks to get a new chapter up. Not to mention, my senior year of high school starts tomorrow. Please review and let me know what you think about this! Thanks, Steph.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

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Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to J. K. Rowling, except for Leila, Anna, Caitlin, Alex, John, Tony, and Bob who are products of my imagination.

A/N: OK, I really wasn't planning to work on this yet because of school and all . . . but I loved the reviews, what can I say?

Hermione slowly slipped off of the cot that was in Ginny's room and went down the stairs. Charlie was sitting next to Mrs. Weasley, watching the stairs with interest. He grinned as Hermione bounced down and sat next to him. She helped herself to some food, then looked at Charlie. 

"We should tell them," she mouthed. Charlie nodded, looking at his mother, then back at Hermione.

"When?" he mouthed. She shrugged, looking outside and then back at him. He nodded.

"Mum, Hermione and I are going for a walk," Charlie said when they both finished breakfast. Mrs. Weasley didn't even look at them, as she started making more breakfast (all of the other Weasleys were waking up). Hermione and Charlie stood quickly and walked outside, walking in amiable silence.

"When are we going to tell them, Charlie? I mean, I am just going with you to Romania, but you know some of them will read into it," Hermione told him. Charlie looked down at her in disbelief.

"Some of them?" he asked in amazement. "More like all of them. Even Percy will read into it," he said with a grin. Hermione looked up at him and then grabbed his hand and stopped him. She slowly sat down and pulled him with her.

"Yeah, I know. So, I think we should go in there and tell them, then we need to pack. When are we leaving?" Hermione asked. 

"Two days from today. So, we'll tell them when we go in and then we'll pack," Charlie said. "But, I need you to take the Apparation test before then. Can you try it tomorrow?" Charlie asked. Hermione nodded, and they returned to the Burrow.

"Morning you two," Harry said, sending a suspicious glance their way. Hermione rolled her eyes and sat next to him, looking at Ron who was tossing tons of eggs onto his plate and ignoring everyone.

"Good morning Harry. Mrs. Weasley, I need to speak with you," Hermione said, looking at Mrs. Weasley bustling around the kitchen. She frowned, glancing at the food cooking on the stove, but sitting down nonetheless.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I'm going to Romania with Charlie, to study dragons," Hermione said. "If I get my Apparation license tomorrow, we're leaving the day after," Hermione said.

"And you say that you two don't go out," Ron snorted, taking a bit of his food. Hermione glared at him, before fixing a glass of water and calmly taking a sip. 

"We don't, Ron. I thought you should know. Now, I'm going to go pack and practice for the Apparation test," Hermione said. Everyone nodded, and Hermione hurried up to Ginny's room and started packing a small trunk. Ginny looked up at her as she was stuffing clothing and a few books into her trunk.

"Off to Romania already?" Ginny asked, smirking slightly.

"Soon. I have to pass the Apparation test first. Better than Flooing or going by broom," Hermione told her. Ginny smiled at her, looking at the doors, wondering if Charlie was going to come in. "Charlie won't come. He has to pack, and then I told him that I had to study." Hermione answered her unasked question.

"Oh. You know, Apparation is supposed to be really, really hard. What happens if you don't pass the test?" Ginny asked.

"Charlie either waits for me to pass, or leaves," Hermione said, picking up a book about the art of Appartaion. She looked through it quickly, then sighed. "I hate being nervous," she mused aloud.

"Why bother with being nervous. If Fred and George can manage it, you surely can," Ginny told her from her bed. Hermione nodded, grinning at her. Somehow, that thought was reassuring. She carefully practiced the wand movements, and murmuring the spell to Apparate.

"Oh, I just hope I can do it," she said, stretching on the cot. She spent the day studying quietly in Ginny's room, not noticing anyone leaving or entering the room. That night she fell into a troubled sleep, completely nervous.

The next day, she took the Apparation test, and easily passed. The day after, she and Charlie left for Romania, saying goodbye to the Weasley family with large grins.

The rush of Appatating to Romania caused Hermione to almost fall from the dizzy spell when she arrived. Charlie was already there, and reached for her, holding her tight.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" he asked quietly. She nodded, holding onto him tightly and resting her head on his shoulder. She took deep breaths of air and clutched him tightly, nuzzling into his chest. "The first long Apparation is always the worst." Hermione nodded, apparently already noting that.

"Okay," she said a few minutes later, pulling away from him slowly. "Let's go." She hefted her trunk and followed him down a slight path that led to the camps. They passed several fenced in dragons on the way. Reaching the camp, Hermione saw about five tents. A group of people was seated around a fire.

"Charlie!" the voices called. Charlie grinned, running over to them. Hermione followed more slowly. There were about seven people there, three women and four men.

"Hey! How have you been?" he asked, shaking the men's hands and hugging the women. Hermione hung back at the edge, and he turned and grinned at her. "This is my friend, Hermione Granger. Hermione, that's Leila Garret, Anna Smith, Caitlin Brown, Alex Brown, Tony Powell, John Morton, and Bob Norris," he introduced. Hermione quickly shook hands with them all, then sat and silently appraised the people across from them.

They were all dressed similarly--black pants, white shirts, and dragonhide boots. Leila had dark brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail, violet eyes, and pale skin. She looked very nice. Anna was next to her. Anna was a tall, large woman with curly blond hair sticking out every which way. Caitlin, obviously married to Alex, had soft blond hair that hung to her shoulders, and looked far too delicate to be studying dragons. Alex was opposite of Caitlin, and fit the tall, dark, and handsome profile perfectly. He had dark hair with even darker brown eyes, and appeared to have the complexion to always be tan. Tony, next to him, reminded Hermione strongly of Draco Malfoy. He had light blond hair and a sharp, angular face. However, he looked much nicer and more open than Hermione could ever imagine Draco looking. John was a curly-headed, brown-haired man with broad hours and bright blue eyes. And next to him was Bob Norris. Hermione felt a sense of foreboding just by looking at him, but didn't say anything. He was rather short and chubby, with light brown hair and dark green eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Hermione," Caitlin said, scooting closer to Alex to allow her to sit between her and Anna. Hermione gratefully sat down and noticed Charlie sitting between Tony and John.

"So, Charlie, you coming back to work with the dragons?" Alex asked with a grin. Charlie shrugged.

"I don't know. I love dragons and all, but I don't know what I'm going to do now. Things have changed so much since I last worked here, and all I can think about is what happened," Charlie muttered. He caught Hermione's glance and knew that she knew what he meant.

"What about you, Hermione? What are your plans?" Leila asked, looking over at her. Hermione shrugged delicately.

"I haven't a clue. That's why Charlie invited me here, so I can find out what I like. It's not like I was doing anything else, really. Just imposing on the Weasleys," she said with a grin. Charlie laughed at that.

"Right, 'Mione. Mum absolutely hated having you there. Ron and Harry were actually kind of angry that you were coming here. They said it would be the first summer you didn't spend together," he said.

"Oh, Harry and Ron need to grow up," she smirked. "They know I'll be back. Besides, I doubt Harry will miss anyone with his precious Ginny in the house." Charlie looked strangely sober at that.

"Hey, that's my little sister you're talking about," he told her with a grin. Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest, watching the group with interest.

"How long have you two known one another?" Bob asked with interest. Hermione cocked her head and looked at Charlie. Charlie shrugged.

"Since fourth year . . . Four years, I suppose?" she questioned. Charlie bit his lip, then nodded and smiled at her.

"Table fight with Bill at the cookout, before the World Quidditch match." Hermione rolled her eyes at the mention of Quidditch, but the mere mention of it brought a heated discussion between the men, but the women shared an annoyed glance.

"We'll show Hermione to her quarters," Anna said, standing up rather abruptly. The men barely acknowledged them. The four quickly made their way to the tents.

"You have your choice. You can stay with Anna or me, or we can share and you and Charlie can stay together, whichever," Leila offered. Hermione looked between Anna and Leila, trying to decide whom to stay with.

"I think I'll stay with you, Leila," she said.

"All right. That tent in the middle belongs to Caitlin and Alex. We're next to it and Anna is on the other side of us. Next to Caitlin and Alex is Tony, and Charlie will probably stay there. Then John and Bob are last," Leila explained. Hermione nodded and took her trunk into Leila's tent.

The first room was the living room with a large couch and several chairs. Several tables were scattered around and she could see two bedrooms and a kitchen branch off. They four women sat around the living room, and began to get to know one another.

"So . . . Hermione, you and Charlie. What's going on there?" Leila asked curiously. Hermione shrugged and cautiously wrapped a strand of her curly hair around her finger.

"I don't know. I like him, but I'm rather confused. Charlie and I are just friends, I guess," she said.

"Wait, do you like him?" Anna interrupted her. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know. Right now, he's just Charlie. I'll definitely think about it. Anyway, what about you two?" she asked, looking pointedly at Leila and Anna. Leila turned faintly red.

"Well . . . Tony and I have dated a little," she admitted.

"I don't date," Anna said. Hermione nodded quietly.

"Hey, are you all Charlie's age?" she suddenly asked, glancing around.

"Um . . .Charlie is how old again?" Leila mused. "He's 24 now, almost 25. I'm 22, Anna's 28, Caitlin is 23, Alex 25, Tony is my age, John is 26, and Bob is 32. He's a bit creepy," she mused. They all laughed, then jumped at the sound of someone entering the room.

"Hermione, I'm rooming with Tony, okay?" Charlie asked, stepping into the room. Hermione looked up at him and nodded slightly.

"All right, Charlie."

"Now, come on. I get to check on dragons, and you're coming," he told her. Hermione shook her head, grinning at him smugly.

"I'm having a pleasant conversation, thank you Charlie. I'll stay here and chat, thank you," she told him. Charlie looked down at her, frowning slightly, then pulled her up and led her out of the room.

"Come on," he said, pouting softly. "Please, 'Mione? I didn't bring you all the way to Romania for you just to sit around and not even look at dragons," he said. Hermione sighed and slowly stood up to walk with Charlie out to the dragon fences. 

"We'll look at the Common Welsh Green, since it's not all that aggressive. Don't want 'Mione to be hurt," he said with a grin. Hermione turned to glare at him, but followed him to the dragon. It was rather small and a bright green shade. Hermione watched as Charlie went in the fence and started gently checking the dragon out. 

It was surprisingly gentle with Charlie, and he urged Hermione to enter the fence. She was slightly afraid, but gave in to his pleading and slipped next to him.

"Hermione, stick your hand out. He's going to sniff it," Charlie said. "It'll make him trust you. This is the most gentle dragon we've had, and we've had him for about four years now." Hermione bit her lip, looking over at him quickly, but holding her hand out nervously. The dragon slowly sniffed it, then rubbed its head against Hermione.

"He likes you," Charlie said, grinning. "I knew he would."

"I'm glad you were certain. At least he doesn't eat humans," she muttered, rubbing it slightly. Charlie grinned over at her, and they stayed out there for a while, before heading back to camp slowly.

"The guys were asking about you, wanting to know if you dated and all," Charlie mentioned conversationally. "Bob was especially interested." Hermione stopped and grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Bob was interested? He scares me," she said quietly. Charlie frowned.

"Why? All right, I may understand why, I just don't think that you should worry," he said.

"Look, if he keeps asking about me, let me know. I don't like the idea of him liking me. In fact, I would like him to think I was dating someone," she said.

"Well, there are four free guys here: Tony, Bob, John, and me. So, which would you choose?"

"Tony is with Leila. Besides, Charlie, I don't know anyone but you here. You know I would choose you," she said, frowning. She suddenly smiled. "What about it Charlie? We could date. I mean, I really care about you, and it would get rid of unwanted male attention." Charlie looked down at her, wonder clearly present in his eyes.

"You care about me, 'Mione, but is it the way I care about you?"

"I don't know, Charlie. But, don't you think we should at least try to make this work?" she asked. Charlie frowned.

"Just to get rid of Bob, eh?"

"Not necessarily. I had to ask myself why I opened up to you so quickly, and I said it was because you were simply there for me. Is that the truth, though? I doubt it. I care about you Charlie. And, I want to explore these feelings. So, want to be my boyfriend?" she asked with a grin.

"Why not?" he asked, looking up at the sky above them, then back to the girl who was still holding his hand. She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"So, we're dating? Leila will have a fit," Hermione predicted.

"I knew you'd fit in with the girls. Well, I knew you'd fit in with Leila and Caitlin. I worry about Anna, though. She's not at all like you, and I hardly thought you'd get along," he told her. Hermione nodded.

"I love Leila already. She always seems so welcoming and all. So, what are the plans for tonight?" Hermione asked. He shrugged.

"Dinner, a walk, and bed, I guess. Come on, it's Alex's night to cook. He's the best chef," Charlie said, and he and Hermione had a race to back to the camp.

**__**

September: _I updated! Hope you like it, and now you don't have to kill me._

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Panda ME!!: Thanks :)

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Tracy: I hope that the mere mention of dragons in this is okay, and the beginning of Charlie and Hermione's relationship is satisfactory? I got this out a lot faster than I expected, but the nice reviews helped. Anyway, I live in Kentucky and we have year round school (we go 9 weeks, get 2 weeks off) and I am already back. Anyway, thanks for the nice review.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

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Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to J. K. Rowling, except for Leila, Anna, Caitlin, Alex, John, Tony, and Bob who are products of my imagination.

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I updated . . . I'm on fall break now, and I've been really busy with school, work, and (God forbid) the SAT. Also, I was working on the chapter, and my computer messed up and I lost it. Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

The weeks seemed to fly by in Romania. As Hermione had expected, the girls were completely entranced by the relationship between Hermione and Charlie. Hermione herself was surprised by how smoothly it was going. Sure, she always knew that she cared about Charlie, but she never knew that she would ever consider dating her.

All in all, she was very happy and was slowly becoming accustomed to working with the numerous dragons, although her favorite was still the Common Welsh Green. In fact, she often was found in his pen, petting him or murmuring soft words.

"Hey, Hermione," Charlie said, walking up to her and entering the cage. He sat on the fence as she turned to look at him. She smiled softly, before slowly walking away from the dragon and joining Charlie on the fence. She looked at his arm and slowly touched a fresh burn.

"What did you do now?" she asked.

"Oh . . . just pissed Norbert off. Figure I'll call Hagrid up and ask him if he wants to visit. Might make Norbert happy to see his Mummy," Charlie said with a grin. Hermione smiled back softly, entwining her fingers in his.

"I haven't seen you in a couple of days. What have you been up to?" Hermione asked him.

"Not much. I've been making the night rounds. Tony had been doing it, but I took them over. Before him it was John. Bob's scheduled for the next shift. It'll be over in a couple of days," Charlie said, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I have been sleeping all day, today I just woke up early."

"Fun. Do you want to take a walk? Spend some time together?" Hermione offered. Charlie nodded, and the two got up and walked out of the pen and down by the lake. They sat down, Charlie lying back to look up at the sky, and Hermione lay next to him, putting her head on his shoulder.

"So, how are you enjoying Romania?" he asked.

"It's nice. I love the company. Leila and Caitlin and Anna are great. Of course, any time I'm alone with you, I get cornered until I tell them everything that has happened," she said with a grin. Charlie shook his head.

"Always intruding in everyone's business. I got a letter from Ron yesterday. Apparently Lavender is staying at the Burrow for a little while. Harry is staying with Sirius now, he finally got his own place. And, he managed to get himself a girlfriend," Charlie said.

"Really? Out with the gossip. I know that Ron told you everything," Hermione said with a grin.

"Of course. He's dating . . . get this one . . . Poppy Pomfrey. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. She did go to school with him, I think she was a Hufflepuff, a year behind him." Hermione snorted delicately at this, curling towards him.

"I miss Hogwarts," she said out of nowhere.

"Oh, 'Mione, really. What's there to miss? Your time there . . . Well, the last three years couldn't have been all that great. You were prefect, Head Girl, all of that stuff, and you had to fight against Voldemort with Harry and Ron, and the prefects, and you managed to keep up your grades. It was all just stress, wasn't it? How can you miss it?"

"I don't know. It's going to be strange, that's all. It was . . . comforting. I always felt safe there, and I had a routine. And, I'm probably just really upset because I know that I won't be seeing Harry and Ron every morning," she mentioned.

"That could be arranged. Well, who knows, they could always ask you to teach at Hogwarts. You know, I haven't spoken to Albus in a great while. I hope all is well with them. I know that since the great Harry Potter managed to defeat Voldemort, there hasn't been much happening, but one has to wonder," he said.

"Well . . . maybe we could visit the Burrow and Hogwarts," Hermione suggested tenatively.

"Maybe. Not now though, later. Have you decided if you want to work here or not?" Charlie asked.

"Not really. I enjoy it, but I don't know if I could do this for the rest of my life. Was this all you were ever going to do?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe. I always did want to get back to doing stuff Quidditch related. I don't want to work at the Ministry, I've never been fond of the goblins like Bill, and practical jokes . . . well, I can't lie, I love 'em as much as the twins, but I couldn't do that stuff," he said.

"So, you've been out of Hogwarts for about six or seven years, and you know no more than me. You've changed, Charlie, whether you know it or not. I'm not sure you are suited for this anymore."

"Oh, really, 'Mione? Well, I'm guessing that Caitlin has dinner cooked by now, do you want to go?" he asked. She slowly got up, holding a hand out to Charlie. He grasped it and she helped pull him up. Together, they walked slowly back to camp, hand in hand.

"Hey, Hermione. You got an owl. So did you, Charlie," Leila said, tossing them two envelopes. Hermione grinned, noting the Hogwarts crest, glancing at Charlie.

"Looks like you'll be hearing from Professor Dumbledore a little sooner than you expected," Hermione said, grinning impishly at him. Charlie simply shook his head at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They read over their letters in silence, while Caitlin passed out the food.

"Um, Charlie, this is extremely odd, considering what we had been discussing earlier," Hermione murmured, looking at him. "They want me to replace Vector's spot and by the Arithmancy teacher," she said.

"Well, they want me to take Madam Hooch's place and be flying instructor," he said, looking just as confused as Hermione.

"What are you going to do?" Leila asked, voicing everyone's question.

"I don't know. I'm not really cut out for taking care of dragons, though. I'll have to think about it," Hermione said. Charlie simply shrugged.

"I'll contemplate it. Dumbledore didn't want a reply for a few weeks," he said. Hermione smiled as she started to eat dinner.

"So, 'Mione, what have you been doing all afternoon? I thought you were going to check in after you finished with the Welsh Green," Caitlin said with a smirk. Hermione could feel her cheeks slowly turn red.

"I was busy," she said nonchalantly. Caitlin simply raised her eyebrows slightly, glancing at Charlie with a knowing smile.

"Kate! Not like that, honestly. Dirty minded!" Hermione said in amusement. Leila and Caitlin quickly burst into giggles.

"Sure about that, 'Mione? Seem to be denying it a bit vehemently," Leila put in. Hermione simply scowled and glared at her, before shaking her head in submission.

"No, but I'll let you to think what you will. God knows no matter what I say . . ." she trailed off. Charlie was even getting slightly amused, but he just pulled her closer.

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," he murmured in her hair. She smiled up at him softly as they continued to eat.

Later that evening, Charlie had just started checking on the dragons.

"You're sure you don't want to come?" Leila checked as she fastened her earring and applied a coat of lipstick. Hermione grinned at the girl in front of her.

"You go out with Tony and Caitlin and Alex and have fun. Besides, Anna and John are going out tonight, and I want to be here when she gets back. Doesn't date my arse," Hermione said with a grin.

"But that means just Charlie and Bob are going to be here," Leila pointed out.

"Well, Bob must have something to occupy his time. And, we know what Charlie is going to be doing. I am going to be thinking what to do with my life. I need to decide about Hogwarts quickly, because school will be restarting in less than two months," Hermione pointed out. Leila nodded, waving at the other girl as she slowly left the room.

And, for the next few hours, Hermione did think about Hogwarts. Until, finally, she was dozing off to sleep still leaning on the couch. Not long after, however, a loud bang woke her up.

"What?" she asked fuzzily, wiping her eyes. "Who's there?" she called. She heard a slight cackle to her right, and she instantly turned towards the sound. Bob was sitting there, watching her with an amused expression. 

Her face instantly relaxed, although she was by no way completely at ease. "Bob!" she exclaimed, a hand coming to rest on her chest. "You startled me." Bob grinned at this, reaching for her arm and pulling her roughly to him.

"Sorry," he muttered, before roughly placing his lips on hers. Hermione tried to push him away, but Bob was a large, heavy man. As his tongue forced its way into her mouth, Hermione managed to bite his lip. He jerked back, cursing.

"Charlie!" Hermione screamed, trying to push Bob back more, but he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him. One of his hands left her hips to travel to the top of her shirt. He yanked on it, ripping it off. Hermione was still fighting him, with tears running down her cheeks.

Praying for Charlie to come to save her, she looked him in the eye. "I'll be damned if you get away with this," she told him stonily. He simply smirked and grabbed for her. He roughly grasped her breast, kneading it, and trying to kiss her again.

It was about that time that Charlie Weasley walked through the doors. He quickly took in the scene, and drew his wand within seconds.

"_Petrificus Totalus_," he hissed. Bob suddenly stooded, falling over abruptly. Hermione was still crying, looking at him in horror. Charlie slowly made his way to her side, pointing his wand at Bob again, this time knocking him out and making ropes bind him. Charlie knew he was being overly cautious, but Hermione looked like she was ready to pass out from fear.

"Come here, 'Mione," he whispered, as he walked to her. Sobbing freely now, Hermione gratefully went into Charlie's welcoming arms and rested her head on his chest. He gently rubbed circles on her back as she started sniffling.

"Charlie, I can't stay here now," she whispered. "Don't get me wrong, I love everyone else. But, after tonight, I can't stay. I'm going to work at Hogwarts. And, I imagine I'll go back to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Oh, Charlie, I do wish you'd come with me," she mumbled into the strong, muscled chest she was leaning against.

"Hermione, calm down, sweetheart. I don't nearly expect you to stay here, any longer," Charlie whispered soothingly. "And, I certainly doubt that Bob will stay either. I'll talk to the others as soon as they arrive. And, I was planning on taking the position at Hogwarts, also. So, we'll pack up tomorrow, and leave the day after. We can send Bob to Azkaban probably, or a regular prison without Dementors, at the least. Now, maybe you should go get into some . . . well, clothes," Charlie said, looking faintly uncomfortable. Hermione glanced at him, then nodded softly.

"I'll be back soon," she whispered, hurrying to her room. She had been in there for a few minutes, when Leila strolled in.

"Charlie? Why aren't you watching the dragons? You certainly didn't leave your responsibility to snog Hermione, did you?" she asked getting angry. She then notice Bob in a heap on the ground. "What the bloody hell happened?" she asked, aghast.

"Go get the others. I would assume that Anna and John are home now. Caitlin, Alex, and Tony were with you right? We need to have a discussion," Charlie said somewhat numbly. Leila simply nodded.

"Hermione! Everyone's back and Leila is bringing them here!" he shouted. Hermione appeared suddenly, wearing sweatpants and a long T-shirt. Her face was deathly pale.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" he asked, already heading for the kitchen.

"No!" she practically shouted. "Don't leave me here . . . not alone . . . not with him," she whispered. Charlie mentally berated himself, how could he be so stupid?

"I promise I won't, Hermione," he whispered, moving again to hold her in his arms. 

"Charlie . . . you'll finish the story if I can't, won't you?" she asked. Charlie nodded, thinking back to the time they had the same conversation, a month before. Hermione apparently was thinking upon the same lines, for she looked up at him with a faint smile, before sitting on the couch, pulling Charlie next to her. She snuggled against his chest, closing her eyes softly.

"All right, we're all here, Leila. What did you want?" an exasperated Anna asked. She then noticed Charlie, started to say something, then looked down at Bob.

"Now, what the bloody hell happened?" Leila demanded. Caitlin was looking at Bob with wide eyes, and the men were staring unfeelingly at Hermione and Charlie. Anna had a hand covering her mouth, and Leila merely looked confused.

"Well . . . it didn't happen all that long ago. I was here, thinking about whether I would go to Hogwarts, trying to decide what to do. I had gotten a headache, from thinking so hard, but I decided I'd just lie on the couch and wait for Leila to return to find out what happened tonight. I fell asleep, but I was awoken a bit later by a loud noise. I was scared, so I immediately asked who was there.

"Bob made a strange laughing sound from my right. I turned around, and told him he had startled me. I had been very uneasy, but I relaxed slightly, since I did know him. That was a mistake. He forced himself on me, kissing me. I bit him, trying to push him away. I couldn't, how could I? Anyway, I started screaming for Charlie, even though I figured he wouldn't be able to hear me. 

"That just made Bob grab me and pull me closer to him. He had pulled back when I bit him, you see. Anyway, he ripped my shirt off, and he . . . God, he hurt me. And, then, Charlie burst through the door, put the body bind on him, and then knocked him out, and tied him up. All by magic, of course," she added.

"Hermione . . . Oh, are you all right?" Leila immediately asked, coming to sit by the other girl. Hermione shook her head, looking over at Bob.

"No. Charlie said that he could go to prison," she whispered.

"Of course he can. Give me a few minutes, I'll Apparate to the Ministry," Tony interrupted. He was instantly off, and Hermione felt slightly better.

"You ready to deal with them, 'Mione?" Charlie asked carefully from beside her. Hermione shook her head.

"I think I'll take that water now, though," she said weakly. Charlie simply nodded, kissing her cheek and going to get a glass of water. When he came back, he noticed to Ministry officials demanding details. Hermione told them the limited version, being interrupted with questions many times. He could tell from her posture that she was slightly annoyed, and most likely tired.

"Here, 'Mione," he said, sitting next to her and handing the water to her, eyeing the officials. She took it thankfully, before looking as though she was about to pass out.

"I think that's enough for tonight," one said, looking at Hermione. "We may be back tomorrow." Hermione nodded wearily, resting her head on Charlie's shoulder. She felt relieved when they took Bob with them, but she was still scared.

"We're not staying," Charlie mumbled, feeling he needed to tell them.

"What?" Anna asked, obviously shocked.

"We're going back to the Burrow, the day after tomorrow. 'Mione wants to be a teacher at Hogwarts, and before this whole mess got started, I decided that I wanted to teach kids to fly," he replied, still slightly unsure.

"I didn't decide until after Bob," Hermione told them.

"We understand," Caitlin said. "It's just that it'll be strange. We missed you like hell the first time, Charlie. But, this is forever," she continued, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Aw, Kate, you know I'll visit. I managed to during the war, didn't I?" he asked with a slight grin. Caitlin grinned at him.

"You'll come to, won't you, Hermione?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course. I love you all to death. I plan to visit quite a bit," she said. "Probably before I go back to school. I just . . . I couldn't stay here. It's going to be hard for the next few days, I couldn't stay for any long period of time," she said sadly.

"It's okay, Hermione," Leila said from beside her, as she went to hug the other girl. Hermione still looked as though she could burst into tears any moment, and she looked downright exhausted. "Now, I think you should go to bed." Hermione cast a frightened look around.

"Charlie," she murmured, moving closer to him. Slightly red, Charlie put his arm around her again.

"Yeah, 'Mione?" he whispered.

"Please, stay with me?" she asked.

"Go ahead, Charlie. I'll watch the dragons tonight, and I hardly think she'll feel safe, without you," Alex spoke up. Caitlin nodded her agreement, and Charlie finally turned to look at Hermione.

"Give me a few minutes. I'm not sleeping in this," he told her with a smile, as he headed to his tent.

"You two are so adorable together," Leila said with an amused grin. Hermione looked at her darkly.

"Oh, stuff it, Leila," was all she said with a faint hint of a smile. 

"Is this turning into girl talk? Because, if it is, I'm out of here," John said.

"No, girl talk lasts for hours, I'm too tired to engage in it," Hermione said. They next few minutes were spent discussing who would cover Bob and Charlie's shifts. Hermione didn't really have a shift, just helped the others out.

"All right, I'm back. Come on, Hermione," Charlie said. Hermione looked up and saw Charlie wearing an outfit similar to hers. She nodded in agreement, and they headed to her bedroom.

"Night, Hermione," he whispered as they both got comfortable on her bed and he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.

Two days later, she and Charlie were sitting by the fire, ready to Apparate with their bags.

"I'll miss you, Hermione. Owl me, damn it, or I'll fly up to that school and kick your arse," Leila threatened. Hermione smirked at her, but nodded.

"You know I will, Leila. Keep me updated about what's going on," she said, hugging her tightly. She said her good-byes to the rest, hugging them all, then turned to Charlie. He also hugged everyone.

"I'll owl you guys," he said, before stepping back to his things. They both Apparated at the same time, landing in the backyard of the Burrow, with four pairs of eyes focused on them.

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A/N: I wanted to write more, but it's 3:32 in the morning, and I'm unbelievably tired. I promise it won't take as long to get the next chapter out. ~Steph


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to J. K. Rowling.

"Hermione? Charlie? What are you doing back? Romania not agree with you?" Ron snickered. Hermione first glanced at the picnic table that Harry and Ron were sitting on, Lavender Brown and Ginny across from them. Hermione looked up at Charlie, her eyes wide, but walked to sit between Harry and Ron.

"I'd rather not talk about Romania. I'm going to be the Arithmancy professor at Hogwarts, and Charlie will teach flying," Hermione said.

"What happened, 'Mione?" Harry asked, wrapping his arm around her in a hug. She hugged him back, then quickly hugged Ron.

"Hell. Bob tried to rape me," she said emotionlessly.

"What? I'm going to kick his arse," Ron said, his face quickly turning red.

"The Ministry already picked him up, Ron, you'll have a hard time," Charlie put in, sitting on the picnic table next to Ginny. 

"You did serious harm to him, didn't you?" Ron demanded. Charlie simply shrugged.

"I put the body bind on him, knocked him out, and tied him up. And, then Leila came in, and was about to kill me for doing that much," Charlie said.

"She was not, Charlie. It just startled her. She thought Bob was a creep before then, it was just finding you at our tent, when you were supposed to be checking on the dragons, and Bob lying in a heap on the floor, she didn't know what to make of it. I can't say I blame her really," Hermione pointed.

"Yeah, yeah. Leila was your best friend out there, wasn't she?" Charlie asked with a smile.

"Best girl friend. You were my best friend there. And, the rest were decent," she said smiling softly, thinking of all of her friends there.

"So, you're going to teach at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, her brown eyes sparkling happily.

"Yep. You still take Arithmancy, don't you?" Hermione asked with a grin.

"Yes. It'll be so much fun!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Think you can call me Professor Granger?" she asked with a giggle. Ginny shook her head, wrinkling her nose.

"Wait, what are they going to call you Charlie, Madam Weasley?" Ginny asked, laughing harder. Everyone looked over at Charlie, who was trying to look angry, but was failing miserably.

"I'm thinking Charlie will be just fine," he said with a smirk. "Oh, 'Mione, we do need to go talk with Dumbledore about accepting the jobs."

"I owled him with my response," Hermione said. "Yesterday morning. Alex let me borrow his owl."

"When did you see Alex, he was working my night shift?"

"Just because you can sleep all morning long, doesn't mean everyone was. I got up at 6:20, right as he was coming back. Apparently, Norbert was still pretty pissed, and he had a rather large burn too, but Kate is wonderful with Healing Charms," Hermione told her.

"Oh . . . yeah . . ." Charlie trailed off. Hermione glanced over at Ginny and Lavender.

"Are you staying her, Lavender?" she asked curiously. Lavender nodded, and Hermione sighed. "Are you sharing Ginny's room?"

"Um, no, they put me in Fred and George's, which, I suppose will be Charlie. How are we going to work this one out?"

"Percy is still living here, then?" Charlie checked. Everyone nodded sadly.

"Well, maybe we should go see Mrs. Weasley before we all decide about rooms," Hermione put in. "Besides, she doesn't even know that we're here yet. Let's go, Charlie." Charlie rolled his eyes, but followed Hermione into the house.

"Wonder if they've finally admitted they like each other?" Ginny asked aloud. "You talked to him, Ron. Did he say anything?"

"Nothing. But, I'm guessing he likes her, cares for her, and it's extremely surprising that he didn't do serious bodily harm to the Bob guy."

Meanwhile, Hermione and Charlie were standing in front of Molly Weasley, who had just finished cleaning the kitchen from breakfast. She looked faintly shocked to see them, but asked no questions.

"So, Mrs. Weasley, how are we to work out the rooming situation?" she asked after she had explained what had happened in Romania.

"Easy. Charlie will room with Percy, and you or Lavender can room with Ginny. Or together, whichever. Just, Charlie dear, Percy tends to get a bit cranky if he's kept up past ten o'clock," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Of course he does, he's Percy. Come on, 'Mione. I think we should move our things upstairs. I know how happy Percy will be when he sees my things in there," Charlie grinned.

"Well, Charlie, I thought you said we had to go to Hogwarts. Why bother with doing that now. We should just go ahead and Apparate to Hogsmeade, go talk to Dumbledore now," Hermione said with a grin.

"Oh, yeah, Mum, we didn't mention. Hermione is going to be teaching Arithmancy, and I'm teaching kids to fly. It's going to be great," Charlie said.

"I'm glad," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. "So, do the others know you're dating?" Hermione turned pale and turned to look at Mrs. Weasley, then glanced at Charlie, who didn't seem at all surprised.

"They most likely have suspensions, but I haven't mentioned it to Ron, and he's the only one I talked to before today. So, no," Charlie said.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked softly.

"It's obvious, after all, I am a mother," she said with a knowing smile. "Go on, Apparate to Hogsmeade. Send a message through the Floo Network if you're not going to be here for dinner," she said. They both smiled, and Charlie looked at her.

"Let's go tell Harry, Ron, Gin, and Lavender where we're going," he said. Hermione nodded, following him out back.

"We're headed off to Hogwarts. Have to talk to Dumbledore and all that," she said with a slight smile. Everyone just nodded at them, but Ginny looked at Hermione pointedly.

"Granger, you better be back after dinner so we can have the girl talk thing," she said. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, but then grinned at the younger girl.

"Of course. Oh, Lavender, you and I can room together, you can share with Gin, or I can share with Gin. You guys discuss, and I'll talk when we get back. So, off to Hogsmeade," she said, before Apparating away.

She landed in the Three Broomsticks, still slightly dizzy. She glanced at Charlie.

"I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this Apparation thing. Are you always supposed to be dizzy?" she asked, placing a hand to her forehead.

"Uh huh. At least, for the first five or ten times. 'Mione, this is just the fourth time you've Apparated, right?" he asked. She nodded, smiling at him, as they took off on the walk to Hogwarts. 

"So, 'Mione, are we going to tell Harry, Ron, Lavender, and Gin that we're dating?" Charlie asked on the way up. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't see why not. Of course, you realize that they're going be perfectly smug about it. They'll pull the 'I-told-you-so-now-admit-that-you-were-wrong-for-once' look, and tease us unmercifully. But, sure, why not? How to tell them? I figure that's what Gin wanted to talk to me about," Hermione said.

"Maybe we should wait until you talk to Ginny and Lavender tonight. I'll hang out with Ron and Harry, and between the two of us, we should be able to get the message clear," Charlie said.

"Probably. That sounds like a plan," Hermione said, as they walked hand in hand to the front door of Hogwarts. They slowly pushed the doors open, startled when a greasy voice from behind them started talking.

"My, my, what are you doing here?"

"Hello Mr. Filch. Charlie and I have just come to speak to Professor Dumbledore," she said. Filch looked at her suspiciously and slowly led them up to the entrance to Dumbledore's offices. Muttering the password, he allowed them to enter and go to Dumbledore's office. They walked up to the main area, to find Dumbledore sitting behind his desk.

"Hello, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley. How may I help you?" he asked.

"Well, Charlie, you're idea to come here. What are we going to say?" Hermione asked him with a smile.

"We want to work here. Wait, 'Mione, you already told him . . . We didn't have to come," he murmured. Hermione giggled at the lost look on his face.

"Oh, it's just as well. For one, I need to run over some rules with you all. You will need to arrive one month before school starts, so on August first, I expect you here. You two will have rooms close to one another, so you will feel comfortable. Also, it will, of course, be overlooking the grounds and the Quidditch pitch. You will be asked to call us all by our first names. Now, I know you to are dating, but try not to show to much affection in the hallway," he said, grinning at a faintly red Hermione Granger.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she muttered.

"Also, Hermione, I believe you will be needing a teaching assistant. If there is any particular student you would like to assist you in grading papers, the like—"

"Ginny? Could Ginny Weasley do it?" she asked hopefully. Dumbledore's blue eyes started twinkling even more, and nodded with a grin. 

"Perfect. I think that should be all for now, however, if you need anything, don't hesitate to owl me. I may owl the two of you with some things," Albus said. Hermione nodded, then they both stood up. Charlie reached for her hand again, before Hermione turned to look at Albus.

"Can we see our rooms before we leave?" she asked. Albus stood and escorted them down the winding steps and halls of Hogwarts. They passed the picture of the Fat Lady with a smile from the both of them. Charlie dropped Hermione's hands, and put his arm around her waist instead. Hermione leaned into him as they finally reached a tapestry of a unicorn.

"Hermione, you'll be here. You can make up whatever password you would like, so I'll leave you here and I'll lead Mr. Weasley down the hallway to his room," Albus told her. Hermione nodded, slipping out of Charlie's grasp and walking slightly closer to the tapestry. Charlie followed Albus down the hallway to his own room.

"I think my password will be . . . Romania," she said with a slight smile. Although Romania held a few bad memories, she really had enjoyed her time there. She stepped past the tapestry, and into a large room. She could see the bath through the corner, and the large bedroom adjacent to the room she was currently in. It was a sitting room, large with a white couch, and a large table in front of it. There was a fireplace, and a few other chairs. The kitchen was also in the main room, but Hermione seriously doubted she would ever need to fix her own food except when the house elves weren't working on it. 

She slowly wondered into the bedroom where there was a huge bed with scarlet covers and gold curtains. It reminded her of her days in Gryffindor, only there was no Lavender to share it with. She sat on the bed, still looking around, noting the big closet, and that the bathroom also had a door into her own private rooms. She smiled softly, then exited her rooms to meet Charlie in the hallway.

"Ready to go to the Burrow?" he asked. She nodded, holding his hand once more. "Dumbledore said we could walk to Hogsmeade and Apparate, or we could Floo from his office." Hermione bit her lip softly.

"Apparate, I guess. Besides, it's a lovely day for a walk. Let's go, Charlie!" she said, happily skipping out of the castle. Charlie simply shook his head as he watched her go.

"Hey, 'Mione!" he yelled after her. She abruptly stopped and turned to face him. "Why so happy?"

"I don't know," she yelled back. "Want to race to Hogsmeade?"

"You're ahead of me!" he yelled back.

"Surely a measly ten steps won't keep such a strong man like you from catching up!" Charlie grinned and started chasing her immediately. Hermione squealed and took off towards Hogsmeade, running as quickly as she could. Suddenly, she felt powerful arms around her waist, and she turned around, fear evident on her face.

"Charlie, don't do that," she whispered, her lips trembling. Charlie instantly let her go, looking at her in shock.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting on the ground in front of her. She slowly sat next to him, looking at him carefully.

"It reminds me of Bob. I mean, I'm handling everything well . . . it's just when you grabbed me like that, I was so scared that he had come back. I know that he can't hurt me, but you scared me," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching for her hand. "I didn't think." Hermione softly smiled at him, reaching for him hesitantly. At first, Charlie simply held her, clutching her protectively. "Hermione, you know I'd never intentionally hurt you, and I would never let anyone hurt you. Hell, if I could have stopped Bob sooner, you know I would have," he whispered.

"I know," Hermione told him, smoothing his hair down, running one hand down his smooth jaw. And, even though they had been dating for weeks, they had yet to kiss. Sure, they held hands, hugged, and kissed each other on the forehead and cheek, but never really kissed. So, Charlie was completely surprised when Hermione guided his head closer to hers, until their lips were only inches from one another.

Charlie gently put his hand on her cheek, guiding her closer to them, until their lips were barely touching. It started out as a chaste and gentle kiss, but soon Charlie's tongue pressed against her lips begging entrance. Hermione quickly parted her lips, pressing herself even closer to him.

A few minutes later, Hermione reluctantly pulled away, still looking into his cloudy blue eyes. She smiled softly at him, then looked around and smiled softly.

"Think we should go back to the Burrow?" she asked thoughtfully. He grinned and stood up, helping her. They slowly walked back to Hogsmeade, then Apparated, still holding hands. Their worry about how to tell their friends about their relationship was solved because everyone saw them holding hands as soon as they got back.

"I was right! They are dating!" was the first thing Hermione heard when she popped back at the Burrow.

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A/N: Sorry I seem to keep ending like this. I just wanted to get the next chapter out. Two in two days, not bad, right? So tell me what you think!

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Tracy: Thanks for the support! I hope you liked it! And, not nearly as long to the next chapter, right?


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